The group were formed in Colchester in Essex in 1963 as Dane Stephens and The Deep Beats, later evolving into The Fairies.
They signed to Decca in 1964 releasing their first single, a cover of Bob Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice It’sAlright and makingnewspaper headlines when members of the group were arrested for climbing up a statue.
In 1965 they moved to HMV and recorded Get Yourself Home, written by their road manager Johnnie Dee. Previously Dee’s composition Don’t Bring Me Down had been rejected by The Fairies and became a hit instead for The Pretty Things.
Original vocalist Doug Ord was replaced in 1965 by Nick Wymer while Ord spent time in jail for manslaughter following a road accident. He had been driving the group’s van without any licence or insurance when he hit a car and killed a number of people.
Nick Wymer Vocals John ‘Freddy’ Gandy
Guitar John ‘Akky’ Acutt
Guitar Mick ‘Wimps’ Weaver
Bass John ‘Twink’ Alder
Drums Doug Ord (Dane Stephens)
Vocals
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